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Summary

South-eastern hut circle associated with a fragmentary enclosure and two cists to the north-west of Deadman's Bottom

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1016145: A prehistoric settlement with cairns and a historic tin mill, streamwork and buildings lying adjacent to the Langcombe Brook

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX 66 NW 40
• Pastscape: 441676

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• HUT CIRCLE (Constructed, Bronze Age - 2200 BC to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

Ancient Monuments, Schedule Notes? (Schedule Document). SDV152661.

Hut circles north-west of Deadman's Bottom. Two hut circles on either side of two cists; circular and of unusual size, but not apparently connected with any fields. The eastern hut is sub-rectangular, possibly Medieval.

Worth, R. H., 1900, 19th Report of the Barrow Committee, 51 (Article in Serial). SDV231259.

Hut circles, connected with the kists. The south-eastern circle whose diameter was 3.8 metres was opened. The interior was found to be paved with flat stones. Nothing but earth was found resting on these stones. A little charcoal lay between them in the joints. The pavement when lifted proved to have been laid directly on the subsoil of decomposed granite, which normally is the colour of umber. Under the pavement it is a light brick red. At some time a considerable fire must have been maintained within the circle. The red colour goes deeper in the centre of the circle than elsewhere. These circles do not resemble the so called "sacred circles", however a feature in common is the evidence of fire which is found on excavation. There were no traces of barrows having been raised within the circles. It is suggested that cremations took place within these two circles and that the ashes were transferred to urns subsequently placed in the adjacent kistvaen.

Ordnance Survey, 1904 - 1906, Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map (Cartographic). SDV325644.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950, SX66NW40, SX66NW40 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV143593.

Visited on 17th May 1950. At SX 6080 6687 Hut circle 'A'. A very fragmentary hut circle consisting of a few stones. No definite entrance.
Visited on 9th September 1978. At SX 6081 6687 Hut circle levelled into a slight south-west slope at 390 metres above OD. The hut is 3.0 metres internal diameter with an entrance gap on the south side. The walling is 0.6 metres thick and 0.4 metres high, with turf covering what is probably piled stones.

Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England, 1985, Aerial Photograph Project (Dartmoor) - Dartmoor Pre-NMP (Cartographic). SDV319854.

Not visible on the Royal Air Force 1946/7 aerial photos.

Turner, J. R., 1990, Ring Cairns, Stone Circles and Related Monuments on Dartmoor, 46 73/d28 (Article in Serial). SDV229817.

Turner records this as a ring setting with paved interior, 3.8 metres internal diameter.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 140547b , add38 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

Visted on 9th May 1996. At SX 6076 6690 two stone hut circles north-west of Deadman's Bottom.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 148, Map 50, Figure 50.1 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Hut Circle '1' is the south-eastern of a group of features to the north of Deadmans Bottom in the Langcombe valley. It is an embanked sub-square hut with a gap in the south-west corner and a curving 'boundary wall' extending from the south-east corner.

Thackray, C., 1994, The Upper Plym Valley: the management of an historic landscape, 300-2, 102.1172d (Report - non-specific). SDV143510.

Probert, S. A. J. + Fletcher, M. J., 2002, Plym Valley survey (Report - Survey). SDV350782.

Visted on 28th February 2002) At SX 6079 6689 A sub-circular stony spread probably the remains of a disturbed hut circle circa 7.6 by 6.7 metres with a circa 3.4 metres square hollow at its centre. There is a pronounced gap in the slope side which may be a possible entrance - an upright slab circa 0.5 metres high and 1.1 metres long set in the down-slope side. There is evidence of a stony bank submerged under peat on east side.

English Heritage, 2005-2008, Prehistoric Survey Information (Cartographic). SDV345521.

Hut circle shown on survey.

GeoInformation Group Ltd, 2010, 1:625 2010 Colour (12.5cm resolution) (Aerial Photograph). SDV346026.

Visible on aerial photograph.

Ordnance Survey, 2021, MasterMap 2021 (Cartographic). SDV364015.

Hut circle shown in modern mapping.

Historic England, 2021, National Heritage List for England, 1016145 (National Heritage List for England). SDV364016.

Within scheduled area.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8148 - The Upper Plym Valley: The Management of an Historic Landscape
• EDV8470 - Excavation at Deadman's Bottom

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.